Familiar Taste of Poison
by LaueHime
Summary: Preseries, Stanford era. Sam survived his first finals as a College boy and he joins the fun at a party with friends. Only,having maybe too much fun, he ends up putting his life in jeopardy. Dean is surprised when he gets a call in the middle of the night only to learn that he is Sammy's emergency reference. Needless to say that he takes this role really seriously. DrunkSam BroDean
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello guys! I'm officially in vacation! It means that my head has plenty of time to be invaded by story ideas. This one knocked at my door and just demanded to be written so there it goes. **

**Summary: Pre-series, Stanford era. Sam survived his first finals as a College boy and he joins the fun at a party with friends. Only, having maybe too much fun, he ends up putting his life in jeopardy. Dean is surprised when he gets a call in the middle of the night only to learn that he is Sammy's emergency reference. Needless to say that he takes this role really seriously. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the show nor the characters. They belong to the amazing Kripke and I'm just borrowing them for a while. I promise to give them back without scratches!**

_SUPERNATURAL_

**Palo Alto, California**

It was December in California. The air was warm but chilly when the wind picked up. The day was reaching an end and the last beams of sunlight reflected from the far end of the horizon. It was Friday afternoon and Sam was just walking out from his last test. After a whole trimester of working himself out, he had finally completed a portion of his degree.

Pre-law finals were taking their toll on its students. There were so many things to learn and understand. The Civil Codes didn't start thinning for exam periods. The last weeks of the trimester usually meant no sleep and a constant IV drip of caffeine to stay awake and study.

Sam Winchester had never been used to studying so hard for school. Of course, his father had made him pull all nighters for research before but it would be for a hunt and they always ended up fighting because Sam hated it. He hated that life. He hated hunting and he hated that the only way out of it was to be separated from his family.

When he'd first gotten the news that he'd been accepted into Stanford, he was ecstatic. He knew what his father thought of studies and degrees but deep down, he wanted to hope that his father would finally be proud, even if it meant letting the kid go.

How wrong he'd been at that time. When his father heard the news, they had the fight of their lives. John blamed him, almost calling him a traitor to his own blood. The family business was the only possible outcome for Sam and there was no way his father would let him do anything else. But Sam hated the hunt. He always had. He wanted normal. The supernatural had only brought pain in the Winchesters' lives. It had cost them their mom.

Sam hadn't even known his mother. Mary Winchester died when he was just six months old. He couldn't even relinquish the pain by focusing on the memories he had because he had none. Whenever he'd wanted to know about her, his brother and his father just shut him off, telling him that the subject was too painful. He'd seen pictures but that's about it.

That's what drove him to crave normal so desperately. He wanted to go to school, get a degree and a girl. He wanted to marry, have kids and a house with white picket fences. He didn't want to grow a hunter and eventually have to raise his children as hunters. Hunting only brought death and pain.

But leaving his family had brought pain too. Leaving his big brother had broken his heart. He remembered the night he left for Stanford. Actually he still had nightmares about it. His father being mad was one thing but Dean not backing him up was what tore into him. He could still see the pain in his brother's face. As soon as the words escaped John's lips, Sam knew he had no other choice. _If you walk out that door, you don't ever come back…_

And Sam had. He'd walked out and came to California to study. To get out. Get out of the hunting life and have something he deserved for once. He deserved to be happy.

And tonight he was. On this very Friday in the middle of December, after his very last exam of his very first trimester, he was truly happy. He had made it through. He couldn't even start to describe the joy that filled him. The relief. And he wished he could have shared it with his family. But they didn't want him now. He had made a choice. He had walked out. And now he was paying the price, enjoying his victories on his own.

Sam dragged his feet to his locker in order to pick up his last belongings before the holiday break started. As he approached, he saw his friend leaning against his locker and obviously waiting for him. The youngest Winchester smiled and picked up his pace as his eyes met his friend's eyes.

"Hey Winchester, took you long enough!" the blonde young man commented.

Sam grinned. "How did it go" he asked his friend referring to the test they had just completed.

The boy chuckled. "A disaster… You know maybe I'm not cut out for this" he confessed.

Sam frowned. As soon as his friend saw that look, he burst out laughing.

"Dude, you should totally see your face. Don't worry 'bout me! Worry about tonight" he said with a grin.

Sam's frown deepened but his tight lips finally softened into a smile.

"Brady, what's tonight?" he asked with an exasperated smile, wondering what his friend still had in mind. The guy had been acting weird ever since he came back from the last Thanksgiving break.

"What's tonight? You don't know?!" Brady echoed loudly.

Sam gave him an incredulous look and shrugged his shoulders animatedly enough to let his friend know he had no clue. The Blonde smiled widely.

"Just the coolest party ever _because_ you're going to come and _because_ we worked our damn asses hard enough! School's over, let's celebrate!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms up into the air.

Sam nodded. _A party? Why not?!_ Brady was right. He'd been working hard and he deserved a break. Besides, he couldn't remember any time when his father had allowed him to go to a party. Dean could come home wasted anytime but Sam was hardly ever allowed to hang out with friends past curfew.

His nodding intensified and his smile grew larger. "Yeah okay! I'm in" Sam replied.

His friend chuckled. "That's my boy" he cheered, patting Sam's shoulder. Sam smiled back.

_SUPERNATURAL_

**Beachside near Palo Alto, California**

Later that evening, Sam drove up to the address Brady left him. He'd reached a beach house somewhere away from the campus. It was Brady's parents' beach house. They were out of town so his friend jumped on the occasion. Sam smiled sadly. Before moving into his apartment, he'd never known anything to call a home. With his dad and Dean, they went from motel rooms to motel rooms, sometimes renting a decrepit house on the way.

This place was a palace and to know that it was just a beach house made his heart ache. He was still new to this. Stanford had started just a few short months ago and he was hardly starting to make friends. He still felt like the strange guy in the place. All his life, he'd gone from school to school, never sharing bonds because he knew he'd have to break them when he left. Sometimes, he had a tendency to forget that he was settled for good now and that he wouldn't have to suddenly up and leave through the night.

Putting himself back together, he pulled his long legs out of the car and walked over to the front door of the house. He'd grown a couple of inches again since he'd moved to Palo Alto. Dean would hate it when he realized his little brother had outgrown him.

Sam didn't even have to wait long by the door. Brady opened it with the largest grin. He was so happy to see his friend that he wrapped him in his arms. Sam frowned at the impromptu gesture but after taking a few breaths, he could tell that his friend was already warmed up.

"'m glad ya came, come on in" he slurred, dragging Sam into the house.

"Have a drink" he added, placing a beer in Sam's hands.

For a second, Sam thought back to the very few times Dean allowed them to share a beer. He wasn't much of a drinker. He was quite a light weight actually.

Shrugging, he drank the beer anyway. There was a first time for everything after all.

The music was loud and the house was huge. Sam started to think that all the motel rooms of the world could fit into the kitchen of this place. And there were so many people. He didn't know most of them but he recognized a few faces from some of his classes.

There were a couple of his close friends that were hanging around the kitchen counter. Sam decided to join them, even though there were some of them he didn't know. He had spotted a beautiful blonde lady that just wouldn't let him look away.

His friends greeted him cheerfully as he leaned on the counter.

"Hey Sam! You came to the party, nice seeing you man!" Rebecca greeted, hugging her friend. They had met through the first weeks of school and had been talking ever since. Sam liked Rebecca because she was just a joy to be around and she never judged him. She was hanging close to a guy Sam didn't know and he wondered if he was Becky's boyfriend.

She laughed. "Sam, this is my brother Zach" she said. Sam smiled. Brother, okay. He pulled out a hand and shook Zach's. "Nice to meet you" they said in unison.

There was also a guy named Jimmy that Sam had spoken to a couple of times. He was a good guy.

And of course, there was the beautiful Blonde that Sam couldn't look at in fear of blushing. She was with a friend, a Brunette that Sam knew as Katie. He had never spoken to her but he'd seen her at school.

Brady came by behind and grabbed Sam's shoulder, pulling him closer. He was definitely drunk.

"Hey ya'll met my friend Sam. Boy's a genius and such a good friend" he praised, turning to face Sam with an adoring look. His eyes were glassy from the alcohol and Sam cringed from the stench of his breath. He tried to pull away but Brady pulled tighter.

"Good student, straight A's… sometimes you gotta learn to let go and have a lil' fun!" Brady continued. He handed Sam another beer.

"Come on, school's over! Let's drink to that!" he exclaimed, raising his glass to the air and then downing the whole content of it.

Sam forced a smile and took a sip of his beer. He started to wonder if he'd made the right decision by coming to the party. But the others seemed to laugh it off. They cheered and drank as well. Not as much as Brady did but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. So Sam cooled off and drank more of his own beer.

"So Sam, what are your plans for the holidays?" Becky asked.

Sam shrugged. "Rest, I guess" he proposed, not wanting to admit that he had no family to go to.

"Aren't you going to see your family?" Becky shot. Sam felt like he'd been painted in the corner. He took another sip of beer and tried to act cool.

"Nah… were not exactly family of the year. Plus, they're on the other side of the country" he lied. He'd never told anyone about his family and didn't talk about them either. What was there to talk about anyway?

Becky's eyes turned comprehensive. She put a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"It's just my brother and I, you know. But we're planning a skiing trip and well, you can come if you've got no other place to go" she proposed.

Sam felt like his cheeks were flushing from an invisible fire.

"I… I've never been skiing before" he admitted shyly.

"Don't worry, we'll show you" Zach assured with an inviting smile.

Sam nodded. He was overwhelmed with their kindness.

"I'd love that" he finally replied with a genuine smile.

He couldn't stop his head from turning to his side and noticing how pretty the girl was when she smiled. It fazed him for a few seconds until Brady noticed it and made sure to let everybody else notice.

"Pretty, isn't she?! Sam, this is Jessica" Brady stated loudly. The Blonde turned at her name being called.

"Brady" she stated. He smiled.

"Jess, this is Sam. Very awesome dude, that is. You should talk to him" he said, pushing Sam towards the girl.

Sam stiffened at being thrown so quickly and defenselessly into the line of action. Fortunately, Jessica smiled.

"Hi Sam" she greeted. She turned her face back to her friend but not without winking in Sam's direction. Sam felt himself flush even more and his legs started to feel wobbly under him.

"Hey" he breathed out shyly. She smiled as she went back to her conversation with Katie. Every once in a while, she turned her eyes slightly, as if to verify where Sam was before going back to look at her friend.

The music kept beating and the beer kept flowing. Sam had a couple of them before he decided to stop and hit the water pitcher. It was already more than he'd ever taken.

He decided to take a break of fresh air to clear his mind. The backdoor of the house led to a dock that led to the beach. The nights were cold in December. He heard the growing sound of the crashing waves as he approached the water. The sound was like music to him.

He sat in the sand and let the music lull him.

He didn't hear the footsteps behind him. He didn't notice that someone was right there. At least not until that person sat right next to him that is.

He opened his eyes and saw the beautiful Blonde from the kitchen.

"Did I scare you" she asked.

He shook his head and smiled. "No it's fine" he assured.

She nodded and turned to face the water. She smiled and breathed in the fresh air.

"I love the beach and the water… and the waves. They come and go as they please. Sometimes they're rough, sometimes they're smooth…" she started, amazed by the view.

The wind picked up again and caught in her hair. The smell of her shampoo travelled with the breeze and up to Sam's senses. He let himself get drunk into the smell of her perfume. The haze felt heavenly.

That's until he noticed her shivering.

"You cold?" he asked.

She pulled her arms closer to herself.

"Little" she admitted.

Sam pulled his hoodie off and wrapped her in it.

"Here" he said with a smile.

She smiled back, watching him intensely.

"You'll be cold" she pointed the obvious. He shrugged and smiled.

"You won't" he replied. Her eyes widened. "I'm fine, don't worry" he added.

Her smile reached her eyes. She stared him down seriously.

"You're different" she pointed out.

His smile started to disappear.

"In a good way! You're sensitive" she added quickly, noticing his darkening eyes. They lit right back up. His smile slowly crept back up his face.

"And that's good?" he finally asked. She nodded, biting her bottom lip.

"You care about people. You're not loud and obnoxious like Brady can be. And that look…" she started.

Sam's head snapped in her direction and he stared her down, again thinking about how beautiful she was.

"Yeah that one exactly" she added with a wide smile. "That look has magical powers" she concluded.

He offered a playful grimace and she burst out laughing. He joined her. Her laugh was music to his ears. He forgot about the waves and the big house and the beach. She was the most beautiful force of nature at the moment.

"You're beautiful" he blurted out, suddenly cursing at the alcohol for making him lose control of his tongue.

But she seemed to like it. Her look was honest and her smile wasn't forced. He hadn't been too rude. He let his smile return, no longer afraid that he'd blown his chance.

"Winchester!" someone yelled from the porch. "Get back in!" they added.

Sam's smile darkened at being pulled away from such a moment but he obliged anyway.

"Duty is calling" he joked. She laughed.

He offered a hand. She looked at him before intertwining her warm fingers through his. He helped her up. They walked back to the house where Brady was waiting.

"Wha's up?" Sam asked reaching his friend.

Brady grinned. "Time to play" he chimed.

_SUPERNATURAL_

All of those who had decided to join Brady's game were standing around the kitchen table. The host was giggling as he was trying to give the instructions to the game.

"Simple really! Flip the coin and decide heads or tails. You guess right, you pass the coin to the right, you guess wrong… you strip or you chug. Can't do the same thing more than twice in a row either" he explained through slurring and giggling.

Sam had never played drinking games before. Blame it on the fact that he hadn't actually gone to a lot of parties before. Overall, they were all underage. But who cared? There were no parents and they deserved to celebrate.

Jessica was there too. She decided to play. It was one of the most powerful arguments that had Sam join in.

The game started. People either passed the coin or chugged. It was Brady's turn. He missed on the first try and stripped off his shirt. "Party on!" he yelled as he threw his shirt away, leaving him bare-chested. Sam giggled softly. The coin came to him and he guessed right. Brady booed him for being 'damn perfect'.

Sam shrugged off his luck and passed the coin over to Jess. She got it wrong and decided to chug. Sam got the coin back. He guessed on heads and had tails instead. He sighed and grabbed a shot of Tequila.

The next time he got the coin he lost again and grabbed another shot. The third time, rule was that he couldn't choose the shots again. He had to strip. He rolled his eyes and sluggishly pulled his shoes off. Jess winked at him.

Sam lost two more times and had to down two more shots. The liquor was leaving a burning sensation in his chest. Jessica had stripped off of her shoes and socks because the idea of drinking was making her nauseous. Her friend Katie was swaying drunkenly. Brady was dancing behind the table with only boxers left. Rebecca was laughing as she pulled her top off, revealing her bra. Zach was still choosing alcohol, seeming unfazed by it.

Sam's eyes rested on the coin that was once again in his hand. He giggled and called for tails. He got heads instead. He sighed and removed his socks with trembling hands. The coin returned to him and he sighed in relief when he guessed right.

Jessica got the coin. She had stripped twice already and she couldn't bear the thought of another shot. She flipped the coin and missed.

"Oh Jessie! You can't strip anymore! Come on, have a shot!" Brady teased.

Jessica shook her head. Just the smell made her nauseous.

"Can't" she admitted, shaking her head.

Brady showed his deception.

"Those are the rules baby" he pushed.

"Well screw your stupid game" she spat, putting the coin down.

Sam's head was spinning as he watched her leave. The coin was his now. He looked at it for a long time.

"Come on Sammy, we're getting old!" Brady teased.

Sam felt his heart squeeze in his chest at the nickname. Only Dean called him Sammy.

"'ts Sam" he slurred, flipping the coin. He was too out of it to call something and ended up taking another shot.

Sam grabbed his discarded clothing and walked off to nowhere in particular. His head was spinning and he felt like it was filled with cotton. He finally sat on a couch and started pulling at his socks.

Katie stumbled into the room with one cup in each of her hands. She dropped on the seat next to Sam.

"Heyyyy Sam" she slurred. "Here" she offered, handing him one of her cups. He took it absentmindedly and starting to drink from it.

"Katie" he stated. He took another sip and then another one. He didn't know why he kept drinking but he just did.

"You're cute" she blurted out. Sam bowed his head in embarrassment. He wasn't used to the girls' attention.

That got a reaction from her as she traced his cheek with her fingers. Sam pulled away from her touch. She was getting too close and he didn't like it. There was another girl in his mind.

And that girl was standing at the far side of the room, watching the scene sadly.

Sam stared at her. Jessica.

She looked back at him.

Sam pulled away from Katie and stumbled over the couch and dragged his feet. He had to talk to her.

"Jess" he said as he finally reached her.

"Sam" she replied simply.

He wanted to say something. To say anything. He wanted to tell her that she was the one in his thoughts. He wanted to say that he was sorry. He wanted her to know that Katie was flirting with him and not the other way around.

But through the haze in his head, nothing came out. He just looked at her with pleading eyes.

"Take care of yourself" she finally said, walking away.

Sam nodded and watched her. He downed what was left in his cup and walked back into the kitchen. Brady and his friends were playing beer pong. He joined a team and downed a few more beers.

He was clumsy and giggly and everyone suddenly seemed to be so much fun. People finally noticed him and talked to him. He could have fun with them. He was floating in that false happiness for a little while longer.

After a while, his smile died down and he had a hard time pulling it back up. His head was spinning so much that he could hardly stand. He had to take a seat before he would fall.

Panic gripped him when he realized he had no memory of how he'd gotten in this very right spot. He remembered Jess and then the beer pong and then nothing.

He stood on wobbly legs and dragged himself to the bathroom. The room was spinning so much that he had to sit before he fell into the toilet. Once more, he realized he had no idea what happened before that and how he got there.

He went back to the living room and found a couch to drop on. His memory didn't follow and he had no idea how he got there either. He was just so sleepy. Maybe he could rest his eyes for a little while.

When he woke again, Brady was sitting on the other couch with Katie sitting on top of him. They were kissing deeply. Sam giggled. It felt funny to him. He had no idea what happened before and he started to wonder where he was and what was happening.

He was still sleepy and thought a little rest would make him feel better. He closed his eyes and let himself slip into the darkness once again.

The next time he woke, something was bugging him. There was a constant tapping against his face and there was a blur of sounds he couldn't understand.

He finally came to enough to see that the annoying tapping was actually a girl standing next to him and looking into his eyes. She was talking to him but her words didn't make sense.

He blinked sluggishly as the girl tapped his cheek once more.

"Sam? Sam can you hear me?" she asked. Sam blinked.

"Try to stay awake for me. Can you do that?" she asked again. Sam stared with glassy eyes. He wanted to answer, to tell her that he was okay. No words came out of his mouth but a soft groan. His throat was parched and his head was still feeling like cotton.

He was just so tired. He wanted to sleep.

He felt her shake him and he wanted to tell her to stop. He wanted to tell her that he was okay and that she was only making him dizzier. But nothing came out. Instead, his eyes drooped and just like that, he was back in the darkness.

_SUPERNATURAL_

Sarah started to panic. She'd remained sober through most of the night and had been able to watch everything that happened. Sam was a great student. He was in her classes and she looked up to him. But she didn't think he knew about her.

Still, her eyes followed him wherever he went, even when he ended up outside with the lovely Jessica Moore or on the couch with her friend Katherine. The latter ended up in Brady's bedroom anyway, not that she cared.

But when she noticed that Sam had been dozing off on the couch for too long, she got worried. The guy had had a lot to drink after all. Her worry just got worse as she tried to rouse him and she noticed how out of it he was. Sam had finally opened glassy eyes but still then, he wouldn't respond to her and his eyes kept rolling back.

Now Sam had gone back to sleep and he wouldn't wake at all anymore. She shook him and tapped his cheeks, all to no avail. Sam Winchester was out cold. Unconscious. He wouldn't wake up.

That unnerved her deeply. If Sam didn't wake up, she would have to call an ambulance. What if he stopped breathing? She couldn't take that risk. She had to do something. Sam's skin was pale and cold and his breathing was ragged and slow.

She felt around his pockets to find his wallet. If Sam needed medical attention, they would need as much information about him as they could get. She finally found the wallet as well as his cell phone. She picked out his IDs, looking for _something_.

A folded piece of paper fell out and she grabbed it. There was a single note. It said _In case of emergency, call Dean_ and there was a phone number. She frowned at the idea of trusting this Dean before trusting the paramedics but if it's what Sam wanted, that's what she would do.

Sarah picked up his cell phone and scrolled down the contact list. She found a _D_ with a number fitting the one on the note. She assumed _D_ was Dean and decided to give him a call.

_SUPERNATURAL_

**Folsom, California**

Dean had been hunting alone for a few days. John and him had separated to take care of two different hunts before reuniting. They were simple hunts and Dean had finished taking care of his around the end of the afternoon. He decided to take the night off before joining his dad.

After the hunt, he'd gone to a bar like he would always do but his heart wasn't into it. He was actually spacing out constantly, focused on the thought that he was the closest he'd been to his brother in months. After Sam left, they hadn't seen or talked to each other and Dean found it hard to bear.

The brothers had been close while growing up and even though Dean was disappointed that his brother chose to leave him, he knew Sam was happier this way. His kid brother was smart and he'd always hated the job. Sam wasn't a hunter and Dean couldn't bring himself to deny him his dreams, even if it meant letting him go.

Still, he missed the kid so much. The only thing stopping him from taking the phone and calling or even driving right up to Palo Alto was pride. Neither him nor Sam had made the first move and he was still waiting. Waiting to see if Sam would do it or if he would have to.

His night ended shortly. He paid for his only beer and went straight back to the motel room where he fell asleep watching boring TV.

He startled awake and realized how late it was when his cell phone brought him out of his sleep. He frowned as he fumbled for the light switch. When he finally found it and lit the room, he spotted his phone on the bedside table and grabbed it. His frown deepened when he saw the caller ID. He hesitated for a few seconds before deciding to reply. He was dying to know.

"Sam?" he asked right away as he pulled the phone to his ear.

He heard movement and someone clearing their throat before a feminine voice responded.

"_Are you Dean_?" she asked.

"Who are you, where's Sam?" he snapped right back, his panic rising. Why would a girl call from Sam's phone and know his name. That couldn't mean anything good.

"_My name's Sarah. I'm a friend of Sam's. Listen… I… I found this note in his wallet saying to call you in case of an emergency…_" she explained, trying hard to find words that wouldn't upset the man even more.

Dean processed everything quickly. If he'd been tired upon waking up, it was gone now and he was more alert than he'd ever been. There was an emergency, someone was calling him and Sam had let a girl dig in his wallet. That couldn't mean anything good.

"What's wrong with him?" Dean asked, his concern skyrocketing.

"_Are you Dean?_" Sarah repeated. Dean realized that he'd never replied that simple question.

"I am. Now tell me what the hell is wrong with my brother!" he replied harshly. He didn't mean it to sound like that but he couldn't stand the wait. He needed to know.

"_I can't wake him up! He's been drinking…and then… then he passed out and I can't… he won't wake up_" she cried. Dean's heart clenched painfully in his chest. Since when did Sam drink anyway?

"Sarah, I need you to breathe okay?! Just tell me where you are and I'll be right there" he said on a softer tone. He couldn't have her panic, not when she was taking care of his little brother. She gave him the address and he wrote it down on a piece of paper.

"Thank you" he said after she finished reciting their location. "Now, lay him on his side and make sure he keeps breathing until I get there" Dean ordered. He was in sergeant mode now.

"_But… shouldn't I get him to the hospital?_" she asked. Dean's panic increased but he needed to stay in that sergeant mode. It made everything feel under control.

"No, no hospital. I'll take care of him when I get there. Unless he gets worse, then you can call an ambulance but as long as it's unnecessary, you make sure he keeps breathing and I'll do the rest, lady" he snapped, falling into orders again. He hated that he sounded so much like his father.

"_Okay_" she stuttered.

Dean nodded. "Thank you Sarah. I'll be there as soon as I can. Count at least an hour" he said.

"_Okay. Bye Dean_" she concluded.

Dean was already sitting in his car and ready to gun the engine. He knew Palo Alto was over two hours driving but Sam's life might be depending on it. It's not like he hadn't broken speed limits before. Besides, he had a vulnerable kid brother to attend to.

_Just what were you thinking Sam?_

_SUPERNATURAL_

**TBC**

**That's it for now. Funny, this was supposed to be a one-shot. I guess it won't be as it would have been too long for a single chapter. So how was it? Frankly, it's the first time I try to write Sam as a teenager/young adult and I knew I wanted a hint of Jess in this chapter before knowing it would take this kind of turn! But I actually enjoyed it! Think of it as how they met and of course I used the Brady storyline for that.**

**So there should be one more chapter with **_**of course**_** Dean taking care of his little brother! We love that, don't we?! Please don't forget to review and happy holidays!**


	2. Chapter 2

Dean made it to the Beach house in a little over an hour's drive. He'd broken every possible speed limit and taken every possible shortcut. There is nothing he wouldn't do when his brother's life might be depending on it and laws be damned, he just couldn't bring himself to care.

Finding the right house wasn't hard either. He didn't even have to look at the numbers. Even from the other side of the alley, he could see drunken college students stumbling out of the place, too inebriated to walk a straight line. He shook his head with a loud sigh. That only started to give him an idea of what state he would find his brother into.

Dean pushed past the giggling girls and the over reactive machos. On any normal day, he'd have taken a few shots and enjoyed the perks of being circled by college girls. But then he remembered that his own college-boy kid brother was somewhere inside the house, probably fighting alcohol poisoning. He had to move. Fast.

"Are you Dean?" he finally heard from a side. He spun around quickly, looking for the girl whom the voice belonged to. He had to lower his eyes when he realized she wasn't standing on equal eye levels.

The girl was on her knees with a plastic bowl between her fingers. She looked at him shyly, trying to guess if she'd addressed the right person.

That's when Dean spotted the pale figure sprawled onto the couch next to her. "Son of a bitch" he mumbled under his breath before kneeling down next to the girl.

"How'd you know it was me?" he asked softly, turning his head to look into her frightened honey colored eyes.

She shrugged, her eyes fixing on Sam once more.

"Educated guess… I think" she replied softly, pulling a few strands of loose hair from Sam's brow.

"You're Sarah?" he asked, turning his eyes to study his brother. He saw her nod into his peripheral vision.

"Thank you for calling me" Dean continued. She nodded again.

"That's what he would've wanted I think" she explained and then showed him the piece of paper that she had found earlier.

"I'm surprised, but I'll take it from here" he admitted. She frowned and finally turned to really look at him.

"Why are you surprised? You're his brother" she asked incredulously.

Dean shrugged. He didn't really want to start explaining things to a complete stranger. Especially not with Sam so pale and cold next to him.

"Let's just say we haven't been on speaking terms for a while" Dean admitted, checking Sam's pulse and respiration over for later triage. He'd been trained by his father after all.

She bowed her head as if thinking of how she wanted to say what she had to say next.

"I guess no matter what happened between you two, he still thought he'd need his big brother when he got in trouble" she proposed. Dean stopped moving all together and turned wide emerald eyes in her direction.

She actually had to look down, unable to stand the intensity of emotion that radiated from that single look. She cleared her throat and decided to make a report of Sam's state instead.

"He hasn't regained consciousness and he's still unresponsive. He has vomited twice though" she admitted, pointing to the plastic bowl. Dean could see the foul liquid from where he stood and shook his head away.

"You sure he didn't swallow any of it?" Dean asked, suddenly worried for his foolish little brother's health.

"Can't be 100% sure but I laid him on his side and made sure his airway remained clear until he got it all out" she reported. Dean snapped his eyes shut and rubbed the bridge of his nose from the building up emotions. That kid was going to be the death of him someday.

"Jesus Sammy! I swear you'll give me gray hair before long" he sighed, talking directly to his comatose little brother. Sarah smiled at how much affection poured from that one line. Dean wasn't angry, he was just overwhelmingly concerned.

"I still think you should take him to the hospital… just in case" she finally said, breaking the moment between the boys. Dean shook his head and she suddenly felt the pressure as if she'd stepped into someplace she wasn't allowed to step in.

"I appreciate what you've done but I'm here now. Sam will be fine so you can go" he hissed, trying not to be rude but he really needed her to let him handle this one. She simply nodded and moved away from the brothers.

Dean bowed his head and let out a long sigh. This was going to be a long night.

He finally looked back up at his still unresponsive brother.

"I'm here now, kiddo. You're coming with me. Ready to go home?" he asked softly. He got no response but he was expecting it. He sighed sadly and decided it was time to go. He grabbed the plastic bowl, thinking that he would probably need it in the car.

He then bent next to his brother and slid his arm under Sam's back and around his shoulders. He looped Sam's limp arm around his own neck and pulled him up to a sitting position. Dean cringed at how complicated it was going to be to drag the Sasquatch to the car. His brother wasn't eight anymore and he was _big_.

"Dude what's in those salads of yours? You keep getting bigger!" Dean teased, only really worried that he would hurt his brother if he couldn't carefully drag him to the car.

He finally managed to get Sam into a standing position. Well, he was the one standing and Sam was more like leaning into him, but to Dean that was close enough.

"Try not to bump that freaky head of yours anywhere, you big Sasquatch" Dean warned. Sam's unresponsiveness was just unnerving him in ways that he had forgotten over the years while not taking care of Sam. The brooding teenager had insisted he was old enough to take care of himself and as he got older, young adult Sam hadn't let his big brother mother hen him, mostly out of pride.

Dean had missed it. It's not that he enjoyed seeing Sam hurt but he missed the proximity it allowed him. They weren't into cuddliness but sometimes, being hurt allowed for some kind of closeness.

Dean had to _fit_ his gigantic brother into the passenger seat of his car. He hadn't thought of how much of a challenge that single task would prove to be. He loved his classic '67 Impala but he didn't like how his enormous brother didn't seem to fit into it.

But there was no way Dean would let Sam alone on the back seat. There would be more room for him that much was a fact. But the big brother couldn't start to imagine not having Sam close and actually feel him still breathing next to him. Even though he'd said no for the hospital, he still knew the dangers of alcohol poisoning and he'd be keeping a close look.

He finally found a very uncomfortable-looking way of settling Sam into the front seat so that his brother would be able to lie on his side but that would also allow Dean to keep track of his pulse and respiration. He emptied the plastic bowl into a bush before placing it to the floor near his brother's head.

"See that, Sammy? I even got us a punch bowl where you can get to business if you have to! Do you understand what that means?" he asked his unconscious sibling. He wasn't expecting a response but talking to Sam did relieve some of the fear he was building up inside.

"It means that if you puke on my seats, you won't be alive to regret it! You understand me?" he threatened. Of course Dean wouldn't follow through with his warning but he still needed Sam to know that he was there and the banter is the only thing he could think of.

"Now hang tight kiddo. Time to get the hell out of Dodge" Dean announced, patting his brother's shoulder. He pulled his car into gear and smiled at the purring of the Chevy's engine. If he could count on something to not let him down, it was this car.

Dean was slower this time. Reaching Sam was one thing of the highest degree of emergency but getting Sam to safety required softer care. He was careful around the potholes. The last thing he wanted was to jostle his brother's condition into something worse.

He figured he couldn't go back to Folsom because his father knew where he was and he wasn't actually enjoying the idea of having John around this time. He knew Sam wouldn't like it either. He didn't even know if Sam would really be happy to have him here at that point. But it's not like the kid was in any position to argue anyway.

He decided to pick a motel not too far from Stanford instead. That way, he could drive Sam right back into his own college life and forget that anything had happened as soon as the kid got better.

Walking Sam inside the motel room was yet another struggle but at least there were no steps or anything that might complicate the walk. Force of habit, he laid Sam on the bed at the far end of the room so he could get the one guarding the door. He then laid rounds of salt and drew a set of charms out of sheer protection. _Better safe than sorry_. Winchesters didn't do sorry.

Dean had spotted a small 24-hour grocery store at the corner of the street. He promised his sibling whom had yet to arouse that he'd be right back. He was back within minutes indeed and Sam hadn't stirred. Dean dropped his purchases and sat on the bed next to his brother.

Sam was on his side again and Dean made sure he was wrapped tightly. He pulled the sheets and comforter up to prevent the kid from catching cold. He had everything ready for a long night of keeping vigil next to his sick little brother.

_SUPERNATURAL_

Dizziness was the first thing that registered in his mind. He had no idea what was going on or what had happened. He realized he felt cold but quickly, something warm wrapped around him. He didn't find the strength to open his eyes. Something caught his nose though. It was a familiar smell. Something like gunpowder and oil. But it couldn't be.

Darkness overcame him once more.

When he came to again, something terrible was happening inside of him but he didn't know what. He felt sick. Before he could register what was happening, a cramp hit his stomach full force, forcing his mouth open as he started gagging. He felt the warm bile run up his throat.

A gentle but firm hand grabbed his neck and tilted his head to the side. He felt he could breathe better as his body continued to heave. He heard a soft voice talking to him but he couldn't understand what was being said.

A stench filled his nose and aggravated his nausea. A foul taste rested in his mouth. He felt himself panting from the energy it took out of him to heave, even as his body finally relaxed. Something pulled him up and held him tightly. He still didn't find the strength to open his eyes. His throat was parched and it was killing him.

Softly, the voice offered something to him. He couldn't understand it and he had no idea what was going on but he felt safe. There was something in the back of his mind that told him that it was okay to trust. With that, he gave into the softness of the arms that held him.

He felt the cool liquid against his lips and then into his throat. It was such a relief. He swallowed it slowly as it eased the fire. Comforted, he let himself fall back into the darkness.

_SUPERNATURAL_

Dean had watched Sam sleep for a while when he noticed something was off. The kid's brow was creasing and his breathing pattern had changed. For years of sleeping in the same room, Dean could tell that his brother wasn't resting peacefully. He grabbed the plastic bowl just in time when Sam started gagging.

He put a firm hand to the kid's neck and turned his head down so he could vomit without swallowing it. When nothing more came out and his brother was just heaving, Dean slid himself above his brother's head and carefully lifted the kid up so he could rest against his chest.

The big brother knew that he needed to get fluids into his brother so the kid didn't get dehydrated. He felt Sam rest comfortably into his arms as the tension in his shoulders loosened. Dean knew his brother's body was exhausted.

"It's okay Sammy. It's over. You must be thirsty too. Here, have some water" Dean proposed.

Sam didn't reply. He didn't even open his eyes. His head lulled into the crook of Dean's neck.

"Please Sammy, you need to drink this or you'll get dehydrated" he begged, leaning the bottle against his brother's lips. Sam tilted his head and his lips parted.

"That's m' boy" Dean cheered, letting just a small amount of water slip past his brother's lips. Sam let out a relieved groan and swallowed the water.

"That's it kiddo, drink it all" he continued. He let Sam drink until his brother turned his head to the side. Dean placed the bottle back on the night stand and watched as his brother went still once again.

He let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. He then stood up from where he'd been sitting and started pacing the room. He wouldn't let his brother catch him in one of those chick flick moments he dreaded so much. Dean finally sat down and watched over his brother again.

After a while, he decided to just lay down into the other bed. Nothing had happened for a while and he was starting to feel really tired himself. His latest hunt had already taken its toll on him, let alone the whole deal with taking care of Sam, which had been completely unexpected. He let his eyes close for a few seconds, enjoying the darkness.

_SUPERNATURAL_

Consciousness reached him once more. This time, his eyes were the first thing that moved as they popped open. His vision was blurry and everything was spinning around him. He had to close his eyes as a wave of dizziness crashed into him. As his eyes were closed, he could fell himself swaying as if he were floating on a boat in the middle of an agitated ocean. The motion made him feel sick and he had to force his eyes open again.

He had no idea where he was and his whole body felt stiff and out of use. His mouth was incredibly dry and he felt as though his tongue was thicker than it had ever been. For a moment, he wondered if it would keep him from being able to close his mouth completely. He was confused and the past night was hardly registering into his mind.

He mostly had no idea where he was but it didn't feel like the beach house.

Something else registered in his mind. His bladder. It was so close to breaking that it was actually painful.

Wherever he was, he had to find a bathroom and quickly.

Something was wrapped around him and he felt trapped. It only increased his panic as he tried to get rid of it but only managed to entangle himself even more. His breathing picked up and his head was spinning. He tried to push the covers up and they finally gave up.

He tried to sit but found his body to be abnormally heavy. He had a hard time holding himself up. His head started falling forward until he caught it within his hands and rested his elbows against his knees to be able to hold his arms up so they could hold his head upon his shoulders. God, he felt like crap.

He was then reminded of his urgent need to find a toilet and sprung to his feet without thinking. He made it as far as the end of the bed before he folded in two and had to hold the bed to prevent breaking his skull against the floor.

All the commotion and noise had woken Dean up. When he opened his eyes, he saw his kid brother holding onto his bed for dear life with his wobbly legs hardly holding him up.

"What the hell" he snapped as he got up.

Sam was startled as he wasn't expecting somebody else to be there. In a swift motion, his hands left the bed, causing his equilibrium to fail and he ended up on the floor.

"Sam! Are you okay?" Dean asked, reaching his brother with wide concerned eyes.

Sam was dumbstruck. He was staring with wide unfocused eyes as if he didn't trust his own brain anymore.

Dean kneeled in front of him and waited but Sam was just slumped there with a gaping mouth.

"Sam? Talk to me!" Dean spat, sounding like his father.

Sam cringed at the tone. "…bossy… jerk" he mumbled.

"Come again" Dean growled. He was getting irritated.

"Wha' 're you, where… 'm I dead?" Sam slurred completely incoherently.

Dean frowned deeply. "Dude, slow down. I didn't get a word of what you just said!"

Sam just frowned back. He didn't make sense either and he realized he couldn't even form a sentence without it coming out completely messed up. He had no idea of where he was and now Dean was there too? What the hell happened to him?

"Am…am I… 'm I dead?" he asked, slowly detaching each word in hopes of getting his brother to understand.

Dean grimaced. "Of course not, why would you think that?" he asked expressively.

Sam bowed his head sadly. "'cause you here…couldn' mean…" he started but again his train of thoughts didn't make sense enough to let him formulate it clearly into words.

Dean seemed to understand because he shook his head vigorously before grabbing Sam's shoulders and holding him gently but still tightly.

"You're very much alive and I'm here too obviously" he pointed out, offering one of his typical mister-obvious cocky grins.

Sam frowned. "Must be drunker than I thought" he let out clearly.

Dean chuckled and patted his brother's shoulder.

"Yeah well, I think last night you misunderstood getting a drink 'from' the liquor store for drinking 'the' liquor store" Dean teased, happy to have his brother awake and talking. His smile grew even wider when he saw his brother's face turn into one of Sam's typical bitchfaces.

"Wha' happened" Sam asked softly after a while, rubbing his nose from the growing headache.

"During the party, I have no idea. But someone here apparently decided it would be funny to turn into three sheets to the wind" Dean teased. Sam rolled his eyes, immediately regretting it.

"And damsel here decided to pass out so I had to be prince charming and pick you up before you redecorated the whole place with your insides" Dean concluded, half teasing, half sorry for his brother.

Sam hissed and closed his eyes tightly. His stomach somehow reminded him that what Dean was saying was true. "I hate you" he finally said, his eyes still closed and a hand massaging his aching head.

"Yeah I missed you too, Sammy" Dean chimed with a cocky grin.

Then Sam was reminded of what had gotten him up in the first place and stumbled into the bathroom.

"You sure you don't need a hand in there?" Dean asked, giggling at the situation.

"Shut up, jerk" Sam snapped from inside the bathroom. He made it back to his bed on shaky legs and lay down with a loud exhausted sigh. The room was still spinning all around.

Dean sat next to him and handed him two pills and a bottle of Gatorade.

"Trust me, you'll thank me for those" he insisted as Sam was looking at him with a reluctant look. He finally downed the pills quietly with the Gatorade and slumped back into his bed. He was snoring with seconds.

Dean smiled as he looked at the youngest. Sam hadn't been one to ever go to the parties so Dean had never really had the chance to take care of the hung-over kid and tease the hell out of him for it. He knew the kid would have a monster hangover on the next day and the thought made him smile. He wouldn't let Sam forget that one.

_SUPERNATURAL_

Sam woke up suddenly, staring around himself in confusion. Dean hadn't been asleep this time and sat on the bed next to his brother.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

Sam was startled and looked at him with wide eyes.

"D'n?" he frowned. Dean's smile died down a little. His little brother was still confused. The kid must have been really badly intoxicated then.

"In the flesh, kiddo! What's up with you?" he asked, concerned at Sam's lack of memory.

"Where 're we?"

Dean saw how Sam was staring all around in confusion. The kid was still drunk even after all this time. It would be a long and painful hangover.

"Palo Alto. I rented a motel room so you could get your beauty rest" he teased with a smile.

Sam frowned. "What 're you doin' in Califo… Cali… here?" Sam stumbled over his words, his eyes widening at how funny his thoughts came out when he voiced them out loud.

Dean couldn't keep his smile from widening and he actually had to bite the insides of his cheeks to not laugh.

"What do you remember?" Dean asked, noticing how his brother's eyes were still glazed over. He still wanted to have a little fun so he let the kid do the talking.

Sam's forehead was creasing as he searched his memory. Dean was reminded of a young Sam when his brother was just a kid. He thought the sight was a funny one.

"Party… yeah after finals, I went to a party with my friends from Stanford" Sam recalled. Dean nodded.

"Some friends they are" he mumbled and Sam didn't seem to hear him or even pay attention to the fact that he was there.

"Then we played some game… oh oh Dean! Do you know about this cool thing I just found out? I didn't know before because dad wouldn't let me go to the parties but did you know that quarters have magical powers?" Sam asked with wide glassy eyes. Dean was taken back to a time where Sam was still amazed by the world and when the kid would come tell him about the new things he'd learned in class.

It was just too bad that Sam needed to be drunk in order to see him like the big brother he could share everything with again. As sad as it was, he would be enjoying it a little while longer.

"They can be used to buy things but they also can be used to undress the ladies" Sam said with a silly grin.

"Sammy you sly dog!" Dean teased. Sam bowed his head in embarrassment like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"You know… I learned things in college… like did you know that when all your friends decide to do something, you kinda end up forced to do it too. It's social pressure, you know… hard to go against the mass" Sam rambled and Dean took it as it was. It was Sam's drunken way of apologizing for getting drunk.

"And right there I thought you were a master when it came to doing the complete opposite of what everybody else expects you to do" he thought out loud and regretted it when he saw the look of pain on his brother's face.

"Do you hate me Dean? Do you and dad hate me for leaving? Because you've never called me once and now it'll be Christmas soon and Becky asked me what I was doing for Christmas but I couldn't even tell her that I was going to see my family because I didn't know if you and dad would even want to talk to me… you know what he said Dean that I should stay out of your lives but…"

Dean saw how Sam got all worked up and on the verge of tears and he had to stop him because it was just getting completely painful to watch.

"Hey hey hold on! Stop it right there! I don't know what the hell you're talking about but there is one thing I know for sure! _Nobody_ hates you Sammy" he cut Sam off. Sam shook his head, his eyes filled with unshed moisture.

"I walked out, D… he said if I left I should never come back and I did" he stated remorsefully.

Dean slid closer to his brother in hopes of calming the raging storm of emotions. His overemotional and drunk brother wasn't one that he was comfortable dealing with.

"You did what you thought was best for you. I don't blame you for that. Do you like it? How is it? You said you made friends" Dean changed the subject, trying to drag Sam back into rambling about sappy stuff that his kid brother seemed to enjoy so much.

"Oh Dean you should see the place. It's great and I have my own apartment too. It's nothing like the motels we used to live in. And my classes too! Did you know that you're not actually supposed to call Native Americans 'Indians'" Sam rambled. Dean rolled his eyes. He didn't know which rambling Sam he preferred after all. The smartpants or the emo one…

"Is that so?" Dean said sarcastically.

"Yes! And do you know what I find stupid? It's that oceans have to be debated over so that they can belong to somebody! It's water! It's not like you can put up boundaries… Waves are supposed to be free… it's as stupid as separating the sky! The wind too is supposed to be free…" Sam rambled and then stopped abruptly as a flash from last night engulfed his senses. He remembered the sand, the waves… and the breeze that carried such a sweet perfume to his nose.

"Of course Sammy, whatever you say" Dean spoke on a monotone. Sam's drunken rants didn't seem funny anymore. But Sam had stopped talking. He seemed to be caught in a memory. Dean frowned slightly.

"With all that knowledge, you're gonna impress the ladies" Dean joked to bring his brother back into the conversation.

Sam smiled sadly.

"Oh I'm not sure she's that impressed" he let out, his eyes staring into something that wasn't there.

Dean's face lit up. "So there is a girl! Little brother, I am impressed!" he praised.

Sam blushed before staring out into space again.

"What's her name?" Dean pressed.

Sam turned to him and frowned. "Who's name?

"The girl" Dean insisted. Sam's frown deepened.

"What girl?" he asked confused. Dean frowned too.

"What about Indians?" Dean tried. Sam looked at him with a funny look.

"What about 'em?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Dean couldn't repress a chuckle.

"Dude what happened to you last night?" he pushed with a wide grin.

"I think I drank a liquor store" Sam admitted shyly with a blush of embarrassment. Dean had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from rolling on the floor laughing. Damn he loved that kid.

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked suddenly. Dean smiled.

"Didn't you call your personal Superman for help?" he faked a recalling face.

"Dude you're not Superman" Sam blurted out with his I-know-what-I'm-talking-about look then laughed at Dean's attempt to look cool. Dean plastered a hurt look on his face.

"Why not?" he teased.

Sam scrutinized him from the corner of his eyes, a light smile illuminating his pale face.

"You wouldn't wear your panties on the outside" Sam thought out loud and put on a bright face as if he thought he'd came up with the smartest answer available.

Dean chuckled. "Damn right I wouldn't" he replied with a cheeky grin. Sam smiled back.

"I'm tired and my head keeps spinning" he finally blurted out.

Dean handed his brother the bottle of Gatorade.

"Drink this. It'll help but you'll still be a wreck in the morning" he instructed.

Sam drank the juice and leaned back against the headrest.

"Why will I feel so bad, Dean? What happened to me?" Sam asked on a worried tone. Dean smiled reassuringly. Sam looked like he was eight years old all over again and what made his heart melt was the complete and utter trust his brother had in him.

"Just a massive hangover… it's usually what happens when you booze up into oblivion" Dean announced with an empathetic smile.

Sam cringed and made noises with his mouth.

"That why I have refluxes that taste like Tequila?" he asked seriously.

Dean had to fight the urge to laugh. He would definitely have to come and visit Sam more often or he'd miss the kid so damn much. He already had, not that he would confess to that.

"Maybe if you sleep a little, you'll feel better when you wake up" Dean proposed.

Sam nodded like a little kid, again completely trusting his big brother. He leaned back down on the bed and made himself comfortable.

"Hey Dean" he finally said, his voice soft like one of a kid. Dean smiled.

"Yeah Sammy?"

He waited a few seconds where Sam tossed on the bed.

"You won't tell dad about it, will you? He's already upset with me! He doesn't need to know that I screwed up"

Sam sounded like a beaten puppy. Dean's smile dropped into a frown of pain. It hurt him to see his brother like that. He just wished things would be better between the kid and their father.

"Don't worry, kiddo. Dad doesn't have to know" he assured. He felt like a big brother again. Strong and protecting for the kid's sake. That had always been his role and he had always taken it very seriously.

"Thanks D" Sam said softly before falling silent. Dean smiled sadly. He'd do anything for that kid.

_SUPERNATURAL_

Sam woke up feeling groggy and sore but he was alert. The alcohol was probably out of his blood but his stomach was still sensitive. There was a loud beating inside his skull as well.

"Morning sunshine" Dean exclaimed as he pulled the curtains enough to let the sun sink inside the room.

Sam flinched away from the light.

"God Dean, not so loud! Your voice sounds awful!" Sam complained, massaging his temples with his fingers.

"Yeah good morning to you too, Grumpy" Dean snarled. Hung-over Sam was going to be a pain to deal with, especially as long as he didn't know what exactly Sam remembered from the previous night.

"I got breakfast for you, princess" Dean announced. Sam cringed.

"Not hungry" he mumbled, massaging his forehead. Dean started to think that he had gotten the wrong side of Sam again. Instead of the starry-eyed eight years-old, he was stuck with the moody and snappy teenager.

"I wasn't asking for your permission. It'll make you feel better and besides you need to eat something" he stated firmly. There was no room for discussion. Sam sighed and dragged his feet out of bed.

Soon enough, the brothers were sitting around the small table and eating whatever food Dean had managed to find.

"What happened last night?" Sam asked after a while spent in silence. He remembered snippets of the story but not enough so that it made any sense. Dean had heard that question several times but now he knew that the answer was going to stick.

"Your friend called me saying you were so drunk that you passed out. I picked you up and brought you here for the night" he explained as simply as he could. His tone wasn't teasing anymore. He was serious this time and expecting some kind of explanation. Sam had been lucky everything turned out alright despite the headache and nausea.

"So what? You watched over me all this time?" Sam asked. Dean could tell he was bothered.

"I did actually. You were pretty close to alcohol poisoning from what I could tell. If I hadn't picked you up, you would have deserved a nice hospital bracelet with your name on it" Dean replied seriously.

Sam bowed his head even further, avoiding eye contact with his brother.

"I didn't mean for it to get this far you know. It just happened" Sam finally admitted, his eyes still fixated on the floor. Dean nodded.

"I know. You're a big boy now and I can't tell you what to do. You chose 'this'", Dean was making gestures that qualified _this_ as the whole college life, "…and I guess this is part of it all. Whatever you do, what matters is that you're happy with your decisions and that you accept the consequences that come along with those decisions" Dean explained.

Sam was finally looking up at him. A small smile crept its way across his face.

"I am happy. I love _this_. It's what I wanted" Sam replied the underlying question. It was Dean's turn to smile. It didn't reach his eyes though. That confession triggered something in him and made him sad.

"Then I'm happy for you" he said softly. He wasn't completely honest but he was trying. Truth was that he missed his brother more that it was humanly sane to.

"I miss you too, Dean" Sam blurted out. Dean's eyes widened but he tried to hide his discomfort behind a cocky smile.

"What are you saying, I'm dealing perfectly" he assured.

Sam smiled sadly.

"It's been difficult without you guys. Just thinking that I'm finally having the life that I wanted but that all those victories… that I can't share those victories with you… it's like none of them matter as much as they should…" Sam confessed. Dean's heart melted at that confession.

"We're proud of you. No matter what you do! It's just that it's hard, you know… we used to enjoy things as a family but I guess we never really questioned anything. We assumed that you enjoyed things the way we did! But then we had to face that you're interested in things that we don't necessarily understand… but if it makes you happy…" Dean tried but he was lacking the words to express what he was feeling inside. Speaking of his emotions just wasn't his forte.

"I know. I understand. Thank you Dean" Sam assured, saving Dean the trouble of finding the words. He smiled instead, enjoying the things that had been said between them.

"Besides, I wouldn't take you away from your chance to get laid by a real girl" Dean winked playfully. Sam turned purple, definitely embarrassed.

"How do you…" he started but Dean was just laughing at his incredulous look.

"Dude, anyone ever tell you you're a chatty Cathy when you're drunk?" Dean teased, laughing at his brother's reddening cheeks. "It's nice Sammy, red looks good on you" he added.

Sam wanted to hide through the cracks in the floor.

"What else did I say while I was drunk?" he asked worried that he had let too much slip and made a fool of himself. Dean shrugged.

"Nothing too bad I promise but hey, feed me something here man! I'm curious!" he pleaded.

Sam shrugged. Talking about his private life when he was sober wasn't so easy on him.

"There's nothing really. We talked and it was great but I just don't think she'll think highly of me after last night" the youngest admitted. He could remember very well the moment where Jessica had walked out on him after the incident with Katie.

"I wouldn't think that. Go talk to her, you'll figure things out" Dean proposed. Sam smiled and looked at Dean with a 'seriously?!' look. Dean was puzzled.

"What?"

"Are you seriously giving me advices for a working relationship, Oprah? Because you're totally a reference when it comes to that!" Sam teased sarcastically.

"You know what, shut up Sam!"

Sam laughed even harder, his dimples sticking out. Dean couldn't help but smile. It had been too long since they'd just spent some time teasing each other without actually throwing daggers at the other.

Sam became serious once more.

"Hey Dean?"

"Yeah Sammy?"

"It's Sam"

"Whatever, Bitch"

"Jerk…"

They stared at each other wondering who was going to get the upper hand.

"What did you want to ask me?" Dean finally asked, getting back to the point.

Sam stabbed the cold food he hadn't eaten with his fork.

"You know that poor toast did nothing to you" Dean reflected.

Sam looked up with a confused look.

"Never mind" Dean said with a smile. Sam rolled his eyes. He was still looking for the right way to do this.

"Come on, don't get your panties in a wad and spill it" Dean pressed.

Sam pulled out an epic offended face. Dean just laughed. Sam's pout loosened and he finally cracked a smile.

"It's Christmas soon and I was thinking… if you're not too busy or too far… if you're available of course and if dad…" Sam started to ramble but Dean stopped him short.

"Sure! Let's do something! We could watch a movie… or a game! Would you like to watch a game?" Dean proposed with a cheeky grin. Sam smiled widely, his eyes sparkling from something else than pain.

"Yeah, I'd love that" he finally admitted.

"Good" Dean exclaimed, picking up the rest of their breakfast and tossing it in the trash can.

"Now go get a freakin shower, you reek! Once you're all cleaned up, I'll drive you back to your apartment!" Dean announced. Sam nodded. Going back home saddened him because he knew that it meant leaving Dean but since he knew that they were going to see each other soon, it didn't hurt as much. It was the start of something.

It's not because he was away at Stanford that they had to be totally separated.

He smiled and walked into the bathroom. He suddenly thought of something and it just couldn't wait.

He came right back out of the room and stared at Dean.

"What, what is it?" Dean asked nervously, wondering what Sam was going to come up with this time.

But Sam smiled widely. That scared Dean even more.

"I know why you can't be Superman, Dean" Sam started. Dean remembered where that came from and a smile came up upon his lips.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?"

Sam's smile widened, if that were even possible.

"Because you're much much cooler than Superman" he winked.

Dean's shoulders loosened completely. He smiled widely. God he loved that kid.

"Someone has to save your sorry ass" he teased.

"Thank you… for being there" Sam finally said, all pride and rules about no chick moments left aside.

Dean nodded. The emotions in his throat kept him from being able to reply anything. He finally manned up and cleared his throat.

"Are you done with the damn chick moment? Because you should hop in the shower before we both start growing boobs" Dean snapped with a smile. Sam rolled his eyes and walked away with a smile.

"Anytime Sammy" he croaked out softly once his brother wasn't looking at him. Sam nodded and disappeared into the bathroom without failing to throw his brother his classic reply.

"It's Sam" he whispered softly with a wide grin. He wasn't annoyed, just amused and Dean knew that deep down his brother didn't mind the nickname when the situation called for it

Only then did Dean allow his eyes to water up.

THE END

**And this is the end of this story. I'm happy with the way this chapter came out. I absolutely loved writing drunk Sam and I definitely have to do that again! LOL!**

**Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, followed and favorited this story! It means a lot to me! Don't forget to let me know what you thought of this final chapter! **

**Also feel free to tune in with my stories. More updates are on the way and more stories will be born as well! I love your support, you guys are the best.**

**Happy holidays everybody! **


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